Windows Kernel Programming, Second Edition

Windows kernel programming is considered by many a dark art, available to select few that manage to
somehow unlock the mysteries of the Windows kernel. Kernel development, however, is no different
than user-mode development, at least in general terms. In both cases, a good understanding of the
platform is essential for producing high quality code.
The book is a guide to programming within the Windows kernel, using the well-known Visual Studio
integrated development environment (IDE). This environment is familiar to many developers in the
Microsoft space, so that the learning curve is restricted to kernel understanding, coding and debugging,
with less friction from the development tools.
The book targets software device drivers, a term I use to refer to drivers that do not deal with hardware.
Software kernel drivers have full access to the kernel, allowing these to perform any operation allowed
by the kernel. Some software drivers are more specific, such as file system mini filters, also described
in the book.